Environmental Restriction:CSO Warns Edo Govt To Stop Wasting Tax Payers Money ...Blames Edo Govt For Insisting In Going To Court

Environmental Restriction:CSO Warns Edo Govt To Stop Wasting Tax Payers Money 

...Blames  Edo Govt For Insisting In Going To Court

Iduozee Efe Paul, Benin 

Civil society organisations known as;  "Freedom Ambassadors Organisation," has warned Edo State government to stop wasting the tax payers money in response to the recent judgement given by competent court of jurisdiction on compliance to environmental sanitation in the state.

He said ," We advised the commissioner and Edo state government to channel her energy and our funds towards procuring modern environmental health facilities, employ and train environmental health personnel(s), environmental scientists to manage environmental sanitation exercise, clean up the state rather than wanting to waste Edo State tax payers money in appealing the court case that will be ‘exercise in futility."

The CSO equally urged the Edo State Government to direct its resources into providing modern sanitation equipment for Edo people rather than chase shadows by pursuing an appeal against the recent court judgment.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Isoken Urhomwen Erameh of the Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City on March 26, 2026, ruled that the enforcement of a stay-at-home order between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on sanitation days violates citizens’ Constitutional Rights.

The court held that such restrictions are inconsistent with Section 41(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which guarantees freedom of movement. It further found the measures to be in breach of Articles 12 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

Addressing journalists in a press conference, the Founder and President of Freedom Ambassadors Organization, Comrade Curtis Ogbebor, berated the Edo State Government for insisting it is going to court to appeal the matter rather than provide modern equipment for sanitation.

Ogbebor asserted that the Press conference held by the Edo State Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Hon. Nosa Adams, on March 30, 2026, shows the government is pretending not to know that the constitution of the country is supreme to any other law, adding that the group is waiting for the government in court.

"The leadership of Freedom Ambassadors Organization read and watched with utmost dismay the compendious ignoramus exacerbated by the commissioner for Edo State Ministry of Environment and Sustainability on court prohibition of restriction of human and vehicular movement by Edo State Government during environmental sanitation exercise.

"In the statement, the Honourable Commissioner insists that the governor may declare restriction of movement during environmental sanitation exercise, relying on Articles 6, 7 and 8 of Edo State Environmental and Pollution Law, which provisions had been declared void by a court of competent jurisdiction due to their inconsistency with Section 41, Subsection 1 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Articles 12 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

"This statement shows that the supposed legal luminary lacks understanding of the basic principles of rule of law, the supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution and the court of law. Any attempt by the governor or his agents to act ultra vires, and further declare restriction of movement of citizens either directly or indirectly, will amount to contempt of court and we shall invoke the full wrath of the court," he said.

Ogbebor stressed that sanitation is the responsibility of the local government councils and not the state government, adding that cleaning should be a daily affair and not monthly.

"We wish to inform and educate the Honourable Commissioner that it is the statutory duty and responsibility of local government councils to clear and maintain roads, drainages and sewage as entrenched in Schedule 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 "The Honourable Commissioner, governor or any government agency cannot derogate from the powers and functions of local government councils and allocate their responsibilities to innocent citizens without first amending the Nigerian Constitution. 

"Any attempt by the governor or any government agency to compel citizens to assume the responsibilities of government will be met with stringent legal resistance.

"Cleaning should be a daily exercise, not one day in a month. You will all agree with me that Edo State is currently one of the dirtiest states in Nigeria. 

"It is so simply because the Edo State Government has reduced cleaning the state and environmental sanitation exercise strictly to restriction of human and vehicular movement without providing the component infrastructures such as waste collection trucks, public conveniences, municipal bins, effective environmental health inspection personnel, pest control, effective waste collection, waste disposal, recycling, and maintenance of roads, drainages, sewage, et cetera.

"The Honourable Commissioner of Environment and Sustainability and Edo State Government should show the good people of Edo State the infrastructure and equipment purchased to evacuate and manage waste, as well as environmental health workers employed and trained to carry out environmental sanitation exercise across the state. We can emphatically tell you that there is no such blueprint. 

"The leadership of Freedom Ambassadors Organization and our legal team are on standby to respond to Edo State Government's appeal notice if they ever have the moral tenacity to do so."

Curtis Ogbebor  called on the Edo State Government, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, and all relevant agencies to engage with community leaders, civil society organizations, and residents to develop innovative and inclusive sanitation strategies. 

 However , it would be recalled that the Freedom Ambassadors Organization had taken the Edo State Government to court over movement restrictions during monthly sanitation exercises.